Reaching Students who are Low Achieving – MTS PD Day 2021

On MTS PD Day (October 22nd, 2021), MASP is hosting a full-day virtual Professional Development session focused on inclusive practices for students who are cognitively and academically low functioning. The day will consist of two presentations, a question and answer period, and opportunity for facilitated discussion among participants. This session is intended for school psychologists.

In the morning session, Steven R. Shaw, Ph.D., NCSP, will be focusing on teaching students with low general mental ability. When conducting a psychological assessment, many students present with general cognitive ability that is too high to be considered intellectually disabled, but well below average. Many times, these students are not eligible for any code or diagnosis and fall into the cracks of the system. The purpose of the presentation is to understand who these students are, to provide an efficient framework for adapting curricula in an inclusive classroom, and to address issues in academic motivation. There will also be brief discussions of mental health interventions, encouraging family engagement, and transition to the workplace. This information will be placed in the context of the Modification and Individualized Programming document used in Manitoba.

Steven R. Shaw is associate professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University in Montreal. Before entering academia, he had 16 years of experience as a practicing school psychologist. From 1997 to 2004, he served as lead psychologist and associate professor of pediatrics at The Children's Hospital in Greenville, SC and Medical University of South Carolina. He has over 240 scholarly publications and presentations and has published five books. Most recently, Pediatric intellectual disabilities at school: Translating research into practice (with Dr. Anna M. Jankowska of the University of Gdansk). He is currently working on the book entitled, Reaching Students Who Are Low Achieving: Strategies for Inclusive Teaching for Routledge. He is on the editorial board of six international scholarly journals, former editor of School Psychology Forum and current editor of the Canadian Journal of School Psychologists.

The afternoon session will begin with a summary of the upcoming document on Modification and Individualized Programming from Manitoba Education presented by Colleen Podaima and Cheryl Beaumont, student services consultants with Manitoba Education. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers with participants. The second half of the afternoon will include opportunity for participants to meet virtually in small and large groups for facilitated discussions regarding the information presented and how inclusive education can and should look for students who are cognitively and/or academically low functioning in school divisions across the province.

Schedule:
Morning session - 9:00am to 12:00pm
Afternoon session - 1:00pm to 3:30pm

Recording:
The morning presentation with Steven Shaw will be recorded and made available to paid registrants for review. The afternoon presentation and discussion will not be recorded.

Registration:
Online registration accepts PayPal, Credit Card, Invoice, Cheque, and e-Transfer options. If you wish to pay by Credit Card, choose the PayPal button. Then when on the PayPal page, scroll down and click "Pay with Credit Card".

The presentation will take place virtually. You will be provided login information a week prior to the event. You will need to provide an email that will be used to provide webcast instructions.

The MASP member price ticket option will only be available if you are a current paid member and logged-in.

Cancellations/refunds are subject to administrative fees. Refunds will be provided if requested at least 48 hours prior to the event; no refunds will be provided on or after October 20th.